Picture frame structure



Marph 29, 1932. s. MAGGIO PICTURE FRAME STRUCTURE Fi led O c t. 16, 1951 INVE-NTOR Patented Mar. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SALVATOR MAGGIO, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA PICTURE FRAME STRUCTURE Application filed October 16,1931. Serial No. 569,195.

The object which I have in view is the provision of a new and improved picture frame structure which comprises elements which may be conveniently assembled and disas- 5 sembled; which will present a pleasing and ornamental appearance; which will properly protect and exhibit a photograph or other picture; which will be of strong and durable character, and which will beinexpensive tomake. 7

Q 90 Generally speaking my improved structure comprises a. body in which is carried the back plate, the picture and the glass and a front plate which is apertured for the exposure of the picture and which holds the back plate, pictureand glass in position.

The body and front plate are held rigidly together by means of bolts and nuts which engage the corners of the body and the corners of the front plate. Preferably the bolts 80 are stud bolts fixed to the body and extending forwardly therefrom through suitable bolt holes in the front plate, and the nuts, usually and preferably of ornamental form, such asrosettes, are screwed onto the ends 85 of the nuts against the front plate.

To enable the picture frame to be supported on a horizontal surface such as a table I provide a novel form of back leg whose upper and lower ends are detachably secured 40 inplace between the'body and the front 7 plate. H

I also provide a new form of ornament which is supported by a resilient metal leg or support at the front of the picture frame,

46 such ornament being preferably in the form 1 together.

of an emblem such as the winged heart or some other suitable symbol, the resilient support thereof causing the ornament to tremble or vibrate as for instance when the picture frame and its support are shaken as by 50 a person walking across the floor of'the room.

Other novel features of construction, and also of arrangement of parts, will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated a practical embodiment of the principles of my invention, Fig. 1 is a .frontelevation of the picture frame.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section. taken along the line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a broken front elevation of the frame body, the front plate being removed and the glass, picture and back plate'being 05 broken away.

Fig. 5 is a detail in section taken along theline 5 in Fig. 1 and illustrating the means for fastening the body and front plate Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the front plate which is provided with the sight opening or aperture 2. Such opening is shown as rectangular but it will be understood that the same may be of circular, oval or of any other desired shape.

In the, drawings I have illustrated the front plate as ornamented in accordance wq't-h Design Letters Patent Number 82,842 issued to me on December 16, 1930, but it is obvious that any other design of front plate may be employed.

At its four'corners the front plate is provided with bolt holes 3. I

4 represents the body member of the frame.

Both the front plate and the body member are preferably formed of cast metal and die-castings may be advantageously used for these purposes.

. The front of the body member is provided with an edge portion or continuous rib 5 which is provided with a flat front face which bears with flat surface contact on the flat rear face of the front plate 1 all around the sight opening 2, thus sealing the sides of the frame body and preventing dirt from sifting in onto the the front face of the picture. The inner edge of the rib 5 is spaced sufliciently away from or outward of the edges of the sight opening so that the glass, the picture and the back plate will overlap the sight openmg.

At the vertical sides of the rib 5 the same is spaced farther outwardly intermediate of its length as at 6 to give the necessary clearance to enable the glass,picture and'back plate to be conveniently installed or removed- The glass 7 the picture 8 and the back plate 9, which latter is preferably of metal, are of proper dimensions to fit into the front of the frame body 4 within the continuous rib 5 as indicated in Fig. 4.

The back wall of the frame body. 4 is provided with a central aperture 10 which is of less dimension than the glass, picture and back plate. 7

At its corners the frame body 4 is provided with the forwardly extending stud bolts 11 which are fixed to the body and which, when the structure is assembled, protrude through the bolt holes 3 in the front plate 1 and receive the nuts 12 which are of ornamental shape, such for instance as the rosettes shown in the drawings, said nuts being screwed up against the front plate.

vVhen the frame is to be assembled the body 4 is laid down front upwardly and the back plate 9 is first put in place, then the picture 8 and last the glass 7 v The front plate 1 is then laid down on the body, the'bolts 11 extending through the holes 3.- The nuts 12 are then screwed snugly down on the bolts against the front plate. To permit the removal of the picture, the nuts are unscrewed from the bolts and the front plate and glass are lifted off. I

13 represents an emblem, shown as a sentimental emblem, such as a winged heart. This emblem is preferably of metal to give it the necessary weight and it is supported on the end of a spring metal arm 14, preferably a leaf spring ofbowed shape. The other or lower end of the arm is secured to the frame.

.Thus I provide the rib 5 of the body 4 at the top of the body with a downwardly extend- .ing opening or socket 15 into which the lower place the screw is concealed by the front plate.

The arm 14 is preferably bent forwardly and downwardly so that the emblem is supported above the picture.

The spring-suspension of the emblem causes it to vibrate when the picture is shaken, for instance by a person walking across the room.

For the purpose of supporting the picture frame structure like an easel on a horizontal surface, I provide a back leg 18 made of a bent piece of metal whose angle 19 rests upon such surface. The upper and lower ends of the leg are bent vertically upwardly and downwardly, respectively, to form the toes 20 and 21 which seat in recesses 22 and 23, respectively, in the front face of the back wall of the frame body 4 and are held in said recesses by the back plate 9, as shown in Fig. 3

when the frame structure is assembled. Thus the leg is detachably fixed to the frame structure.

Above and below the sight opening 2the front plate 1 is provided with a horizontally elongated or slotted opening 24 whose rear portion is enlargedvertically so that upper and lower lips overhang the front of the opening. Inserted in said opening are the letter blocks 25 having enlarged bodies to lit in the enlarged rear portions of the opening and reduced front portions to fit between the overhanging lips. are letter blocks similar to type so that the names for instance of the donor and donee of the picture may be displayed above and below the picture. And the front plate may have engraved or otherwise displayed therer,

on above the openings suitable words such as From and To. By selecting the proper letter blocks and filling the remainder of the openings with plain or unlettered blocks the names are suitably displayed. The rib 5 of the body 4 holds the blocks in place.

For the purpose of enabling my picture frame to be suspended vertically as from a wall I may screw the eye bolt or bolts 26 into threaded holes in the back of the body 4.

It is evident from the foregoing that my picture frame. structure is of convenient, strong and attractive character. It may be made and sold at a reasonable price and it will protect the picture against soiling or damage.

What I claim'is 1. In a picture frame structure, the combination of a body plate provided with a substantially continuous flange on its front face, a back plate fitting within said flange and the rear wall of the body member being provided with an aperture of less dimensions thansaid back plate, the picture being placed in frontofsaid back plate within said flange,

a glass fitting within said flange in front of thep1 cture,a front plate provided with a sight opening and arranged to close the front of I said body, and a supporting leg having upper and lower toes which are inserted'between These blocks 1 I the body member and the back plate at the top and the bottom of the aperture in said body member.

2. In a picture frame structure, the combin ation of a body plate provided with a substantially continuous flange on its front face, a back plate fitting within said flange and the rear wall of the body member being provided with an aperture of less dimensions than said back plate, the picture being placed in front of said back plate within said flange, a glass fitting within said flange in front of the picture, a front plate provided with a sight opening and arranged to close the front of said body, and a supporting leg having upper and lower toes, said body member being provided with recesses above and below its aperture to receive said toes and said toes being held in said recesses by said back plate when the structure is assembled.

8. In a picture frame structure, a body plate having a forwardly extending flange on its front face, a back plate fitting against the body plate within said flange, said body plate having an aperture of smaller dimensions than the back plate, and a supporting leg having upper and lower toes which are inserted between the body plate and back plate at the top and the bottom of the aperture in said body plate.

4. In a picture frame structure, a body plate having a forwardly extending flange on its front face, a back plate fitting against the body plate within said flange, said body plate having an aperture of smaller dimensions than the back plate, and a supporting leg having upper and lower toes which are inserted between the body plate and back plate at the top and the bottom of the aperture in said body plate, said body plate having recesses in its front face to receive said toes.

5. In a picture frame structure, the combination of a rectangular frame forming body member having a substantially continuous rib on its front surface and at its outer periphery to form a picture receiving ledge,

a front plate having a flat rear surface arranged to matewith said rib, stud bolts fixed in the rib and extending forward from said body member and protruding through holes in the front plate, and cap nuts screwed up on said bolts against said front plate and concealing the bolts, the picture being mounted within said rib against said ledge.

6. In a picture frame structure, the combination of a rectangular frame forming body member having a substantially continuous rib on its frontface and an aperture in its rear wall, the edges of said aperture being spaced inwardly from said rib to form a ledge, a back plate fitting within said rib against said ledge and closing said aperture, a glass fitting within said rib in front of said back plate, the picture being interposed I so 

